Pipe wrapper stripping apparatus



Dec. 5, 1939. c. F. MORAIN 2,182,301

PIPE WRAPPER STRIPPING APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l glwucnto'a Filed May 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 kw v.0 WW mm Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STAES PATENT OFFIQE PIPE WRAPPER STRIPPING APPARATUS Application May 20, 1939, Serial No. 274,822

20 Claims.

The invention relates generally to cutting or stripping mechanisms and primarily seeks to provide a novel apparatus for stripping ofi portions of external surface wrappings from pipes or similar cylindrical products.

It is customary to provide metal pipes adapted to be embedded in the ground in the formation of conduits with a suitable coating designed to protect them from corrosive or other attacks.

One common expedient resorted to for this purpose is that of spirally wrapping kraft paper about the pipe, and causing it to adhere thereto by use of a hot bituminous cementing medium. It becomes desirable at times, such as during the formation of joints or similar operations,

to strip off or cut away portions of these protective wrappings of paper or other similarly effective materials, and it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus 20. for effectively stripping off these undesired wrapper portions.

Among the objects of the invention is that of providing an apparatus including a pipe support, a wrapper stripping means, and means for bring- 25. ing about relative movement between the stripping means and a pipe on the support to cause the stripping means to strip an undesired portion of wrapping from the pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character stated in which the stripping means is rotated about the axis of the pipe and includes a blade having a free end effective tangentially and a cutting disk efiective in a generally radial direction and swivelly 35, mounted at the free end of said blade.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character stated embodying a rotary chuck, a plurality of stripper units mounted on the chuck, chuck rotating means, a carriage supporting the chuck and the rotating means, and means for moving the carriage toward and from the pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for yieldably and adjustably mounting the stripping elements.

With these and other objects in view which will more fully appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following the description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation illustrating an embodiment of the invention,

FigureZ is a left end elevation, the supporting rail structures being shown in vertical cross section at the position of the stripping units.

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the stripping units removed from the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the unit illusb trated in Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the unit shown in Figures 3 and 4.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed there is included suitable base framing 5 upon which are supported a pair of longitudinal, parallel spaced guiding and supporting rails 6 which are held in spaced relation by suitable cross members I and. which support the wheeled buggy or carriage generally designated 8.

The buggy or carriage 8-which is movable longitudinally on the rails 6 includes longitudinal base frame members 9 secured together by cross frame members I, and from this base frame suitable wheel bearings l I depend for supporting the axles l2 upon which the flanged carriage or buggy supporting wheels l3 are mounted. One or more of said wheels may be equipped with a guard flange l4 and radially projected handholes l5 through the medium of which rotation may be imparted manually to said wheel or wheels for the purpose of manually movingthe carriage orbuggy limited distances over the rails 6:. The guard flange l4 will prevent the hands 30 of an operator manipulating the wheels from being caught between the wheel and the rail which it engages.

Power means also are provided for imparting movement to the carriage or buggy 8, and in this particular illustration there is disclosed a fluid pressure actuated means. This means includes a cylinder l6 pivotally connected. as at ll tothe carriage or buggy and having its fluid pressure actuated piston plunger l8 removably 4 connected, as by the fork connection [9, with a selected one of the cross members I which join the supporting and guiding rails B. It will be readily understood that by applying and exhausting pressure in the usual manner to and from the cylinder [6 the piston plunger can be projected or retracted from or into the cylinder to cause the carriage or buggy 8 to move in one direction or the other along the rails 6.

Thebuggy or carriage 8 includes a superstruc J ture frame composed of longitudinal members 20 and cross members 2|, and the superstructure frame is supported in spaced relation above the carriage base frame upon adjustable screw means 22 By adjustment of the supporting screw means the position of the superstructure frame can be conveniently altered in the vertical direction.

A shaft 23 is rotatably supported in bearings 2 upon the superstructure frame and has rotation imparted thereto from a motor 25 through suitable power transmitting connections 26 which include any suitable reduction gearing generally designated 2?.

At its forward end the shaft 23 carries a chuck 28 equipped with a plurality of radially disposed stripping unit mounting grooveways 29. A stripping unit of the. nature disclosed in Figures 3, 4 and of the drawings is radially-adjustably mounted in each grooveway 29. Each unit includes a mounting head 30 adjustably secured as at 3! in the grooveway, and a mounting member 32 which extends from the respective head in the general direction of the axis of the shaft and in radially spaced relation to said axis. A stripper blade 33 is removably secured at 34 to the inner face of each mounting member 30 and extends forwardly from the free end of said member. Each blade 33 terminates at its forward end in a stripper nose portion 35 which is inwardly offset as at 36, is angularly disposed as at 31, and terminates in a point 38. The stripping nose of each blade is disposed generally tangentially with respect to an imaginary circle struck from the axis of the chuck 28 and shaft 23.

A pair of spaced lugs project outwardly from each mounting member 32 and serve as supporting means for a flexible bar which is removably secured as at 4! in angular relation to the particular blade 33 which it overlies so that its forwardly extended free end 42 is advanced with respect to the underlying stripper nose 35 in the direction of rotation of the chuck. A threaded post t3 is fixed to and projects outwardly from the free end of each mounting member 32. Each post 33 passes through an aperture 44 in the overlying flexible bar Ml, and adjusting and clamping nuts 45 are threaded onto each post above and below each respective flexible bar-so that they can be employed in flexing said bar to bend the free end thereof slightly inwardly or outwardly with respect to the axis of the chuck. A threaded post 46 is adjustably secured as at 41 in the free end of each flexible bar 40 and supports a caster 48 for swivelly mounting a cutter disk 59. Each disk is disposed generally transversely with respect to the chuck axis, but by reason of the caster mounting thereof, said disk is swingable about the axis of the particular screw post 36 and is disposed closely adjacent and slightly in advance of the respective stripper plate point 38. See Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings;

In the drawings I have diagrammatically indicated a pipe support 56 upon which a pipe 5! including a wrapper 52 can be mounted with its axis aligned with the axis of the shaft 23 and chuck 28. Proper alignment of the pipe and chuck axes can be elfected by use of the screw equipments 22 hereinbefore referred to.

In the use of the invention, the stripper units are adjusted on the carrying chuck 28 so that the engaging surfaces of the cutting and stripping elements 35, 59 coincide with the diameter of the wrapper to be stripped from the pipe, and by suitably controlling the flow of pressure to and from the power cylinder it the carriage or bugg'y 3 can be moved toward the pipe from which a portion of the wrapping is to be stripped. As the rotating disks 49 engage the periphery of the pipe they will move spirally over and cut the wrapping, and these disks will be followed by the stripping noses 35 which will strip away the wrapper portions freed by the disks.

If desired, stop members 5 3 may be inserted into selected recesses 55 in one or both of the supporting or guiding rails 6, and when this stop means is engaged by a wheel or wheels of the carriage or buggy, movement of the buggy in the direction of the length of the pipe can be discontinued. Continued rotation of the chuck will cause the disks to make a truly transverse out in the pipe wrapper so that the stripping of the pipe wrapping will be terminated at a definite preselected point and in a neat transverse line.

By inwardly offsetting the blades 33 as at 36, interference of the main body of the blades and the mounting devices with the stripping operation is avoided, and by the novel shaping of the stripper nose portions of the blades the stripping function is greatly facilitated. By reason of the adjustable mounting of the cutting disks 49, the desired cooperative relation of these disks with the stripper noses can readily be maintained. It

will be observed also that the disks are flexibly mounted and are permitted to yield slightly in moving about the external surface of an engaged pipe.

In order to additionally facilitate the maintaining of the wrapper scoring and stripping elements in proper cooperative relation, the blade 33 is made flexible and a screw 56 may be employed to flex it to a greater or lesser degree to attain the desired relation between the nose point 38 and the disk 49.

It is of course to be understood that the details of structure and arrangement of parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In pipe wrap-per stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, wrapper stripping means, means disposed coaxiallywithrelation to said pipe for supporting said stripping means, and means for bringing about relative movement between the pipe and the supporting means to cause the stripping means to engage and effect a stripping off of a portion of the wrapper from said pipe.

2. In pipe wrapperstripping apparatus,thecombination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, wrapperstripping means, means for bringing about engagement between the stripping means and the wrapper, and means for bringing about relative movement between-the pipe and the stripping means to effect a stripping 01f of a portion of the wrapper from said pipe, said stripping means including a stripping blade and a, generally transversely disposed scoring blade.

3. In pipe wrapperstripping apparatus,thecombination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, wrapper stripping means, means for bringing about engagement between the stripping means and the wrapper, and means for bringing about relative movement between the pipe and the stripping means to effect a stripping oil of a portion of the wrapper from said pipe, said stripping means including a stripping blade and a generally transversely disposed swivelly-mounted scoring blade.

4. In pipe wrapper stripping apparatus, the combination of means for'supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its externalsurface, wrapper 75 stripping means, means for bringing about engagement between the stripping means and the wrapper, and means for bringing about relative movement between the pipe and the stripping means to effect a stripping off of a portion of the wrapper from said pipe, said stripping means including a stripping blade and a generally transversely disposed scoring blade bearing a definite relation to said stripping blade, and means for adjusting the definite relation of the transverse blade and the stripping blade.

5. In pipe wrapper stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, wrapper stripping means, means for moving the stripping means toward or from the pipe, and means for moving the stripping means about the axis of the pipe for stripping off a portion of the wrapper from said pipe.

6. In pipe wrapper stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, wrapper stripping means, a supporting carriage on which the stripping means is mounted, means for moving the carriage toward or from the pipe, and means on and movable with the carriage for rotating the stripping means about the axis of the pipe for stripping off a portion of the wrapper from said pipe.

'7. In pipe wrapper stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, wrapper stripping means, a wheel-mounted supporting carriage on which the stripping means is mounted, fluid pressure actuated means for moving the carriage toward or from the pipe, manually operable means for manipulating a carriage mounting wheel for manually moving said carriage, and means on and movable with the carriage for rotating the stripping means about the axis of the pipe for stripping ofi a portion of the wrapper from said pipe.

8. In pipe wrapper stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, wrapper stripping means, a supporting carriage on which the stripping means is mounted, means for moving the carriage toward or from the pipe, and means on and movable with the carriage for rotating the stripping means about the axis of the pipe for stripping oif a portion of the wrapper from said pipe, said stripping means including a stripping blade and a generally transversely disposed swingably mounted scoring blade.

9. In a pipe wrapper stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, a rotary chuck disposed in axial alignment with a pipe on said support, wrapper stripping units mounted in circumferentially spaced relation on said chuck, means for rotating the chuck, and means for moving the chuck toward or from the pipe to cause the stripping units to engage and strip wrapper portions from said pipe.

10. In a pipe wrapper stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, a rotary chuck disposed in axial alignment with a pipe on said support, wrapper stripping units mounted in circumferentially spaced relation on said chuck, means for rotating the chuck, means supporting said units for radial adjustments on said chuck, and means for moving the chuck toward or from the pipe to cause the stripping units to engage and strip wrapper portions from said pipe.

11. In a pipe wrapper'stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, a rotary chuck disposed in axial alignment with a pipe on said support, wrapper stripping units mounted in circumferentially spaced relation on said chuck, means for rotating the chuck, each said stripping unit including a generally transversely disposed swingably mounted cutter disk and a stripping knife, and means for moving the chuck toward or from the pipe to cause the stripping units to engage and strip wrapper portionsfrom said pipe.

12. In pipe wrapper stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, wrapper stripping means, means for bringing about engagement between the stripping means and the wrapper, and means for bringing about relative movement between the pipe and the stripping means to effect a stripping off of a portion of the wrapper from said pipe, said stripping means including a generally tangentially effective stripping blade having a free end extended toward the pipe and a radially effective blade disposed at the free end of said stripping blade.

13. In pipe wrapper stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, wrapper stripping means, means for bringing about engagement between the stripping means and the wrapper, and means for bringing about relative movement between the pipe and the stripping means to efiect a stripping ofi of a portion of the wrapper from said pipe, said stripping means including a generally tangentially effective stripping blade having a free end extended toward the pipe and a cutting disk efiective in the generally radial direction and swivelly mounted at the free end of said stripping blade.

14. In pipe wrapper stripping apparatus, the combination of means for supporting a pipe having a wrapper on its external surface, wrapper stripping means, said stripping means including a generally tangentially effective stripping blade having a free end extended toward the pipe and a cutting disk effective in the generally radial direction and swivelly mounted at the free end of said stripping blade, means for moving the stripping means progressively in the direction of the length of the pipe and about the axis thereof to cause the swivelly mounted blade to spirally define the portion of wrapper material being stripped from the pipe, and means for stopping movement of the stripping means at a predetermined point in the length of the pipe to cause said swivelly mounted blade to make a truly transverse cut defining and terminating wrapper removal.

15. In an apparatus of the character described, a rotary chuck, a wrapper stripping unit secured to the chuck and projecting in the general direction of and spaced outwardly from the axis of said chuck, said unit including a support element, a stripper blade secured to and projecting" stripper blade secured to and: projecting from said element and terminating in a downwardly turned angularly disposed nose portion, a mounting bar spaced radially outward from said element, and a cutter disk rotatably and swivelly rection of and spaced outwardly from the axis of said chuck, said unit including asupport element, a strip-per blade secured to and projecting from said element and terminating in a stripper nose portion, a mounting bar spaced radially outward from said element, a cutter disk rotatably and swivelly mounted on said bar adjacent said nose portion, and means for adjusting the position of the disk to alter its relation to said nose portion.'

18. In an apparatus of the character described, a rotary chuck, a wrapper stripping unit secured to the chuck and projecting in the general direction of and spaced outwardly from the axis of said chuck, said unit including a support element, a stripper blade secured to and projecting from said element and terminating in a downwardly turned angularly disposed nose portion, a mounting bar spaced radially outward from said element, a cutter disk rotatab ly and portion, said bar being flexible, and means for flexing the bar for adjusting the position of the disk to alter its relation to said nose portion.

19. In an apparatus of the character described, a rotary chuck, a wrapper stripping unit secured to the chuck and projecting in the general direction of and spaced outwardly from the axis of said chuck, said unit including a support element, a stripper blade secured to and projecting from said element and terminating in a stripper nose portion, a mounting bar spaced radially outward from said element, a cutter disk rotatably and swivelly mounted on said bar adjacent said nose portion, and means for adjusting the position, of the stripper nose portion to alter its relation to said disk.

20. In an apparatus of the character described, a rotary chuck, a wrapper stripping unit secured to the chuck and projecting in the general direction of and spaced outwardly from the axis of said chuck, said unit including a support element, a stripper blade secured to and projecting from said element and terminating in a stripper nose portion, a mounting bar spaced radially outward from said element, a cutter disk rotatably and swiv'elly mounted on said bar adjacent said nose portion, and means for individually adjusting the positions of the stripper nose portion and the disk to alter their cooperative relation.

CLIFFORD F. MORAIN. 

